The Not So Lazy Days of Summer
by HolesUncovered
Summary: A story about the events leading up to Jackie and Hyde getting together that summer.
1. Hyde's Very Bloody Nose

**The Not-So Lazy Days of Summer**

**Disclaimer:** While this is an original piece of fiction, I do not own any of the character in this story. I have no affiliation with FOX or "That 70s Show." I'm merely a fan.

**Author's Note:** This story is not meant to follow show cannon exactly, but I tried my best to create an accurate representation of the characters and their actions. This is also my very first T7S fanfic, so I hope I did the characters justice. I know there are many interpretations of how JH get together already written, but the idea fascinates me since it was so vague on the show. This is just my take on what _could _have happened.

**Chapter 1**

_Point Place. Wisconsin. June 7, 1978._

Jackie Burkhart paused for a moment on the top step of the stairs leading down into Foreman's basement. Her brown hair moved with the gentle breeze in the air, as if nature also agreed with her theories that she was the most beautiful girl in Point Place. Her leg was cocked to one side; her opposite hand clutched her hip with that sassy spunk she possessed so effortlessly. Summer was the best season of the year, as Jackie saw it. Sure, it meant three months away from school where she was queen, but the high summer heat and long afternoons were also the perfect excuse to show off the tan she spent hours upon hours working on.

Take that afternoon, her body was barely covered by the bright yellow halter top and short shorts she bought yesterday which of course had been _the_ perfect purchase since her Calvin Klein's a year ago. Everything about her screamed over-the-top, the yellow platforms, the perfectly made-up face, the curled hair, and yet, there was something special about the tiny brunette which could not be recreated no matter how much she looked like a page out of Cosmo magazine.

Special, yes Jackie Burkhart was special. It was also what often made her unbearable to be around, with her loud, screeching voice and self-absorbed way of living. The fact that she knew how others saw her deep down meant absolutely nothing. She loved herself very, very much, so they could just get over it because she expected them to love her back without question. When they didn't, she became angry. Very angry, a person could even call it scary, psycho anger. Just like if Michael Kelso came bouncing up the Foreman driveway as she stood there, she would have went Freddy Krueger on his ass.

An annoyed scoff escaped her mouth without even thinking about it. The thought of Michael brought about a physical reaction these days and not in the good way back when her teenage heart used to skip a few beats when he stood really close to her and she could smell his cologne. _How could that jerk run away with freaking Donna to California?_ She should be happy. She should be planning a wedding. Instead, she constantly felt the beginnings of tears mixed with such an intense hatred she thought she would explode at any moment.

Small beads of sweat had begun to form just along her hairline from standing idle those couple of minutes. "Gross," Jackie brushed her fingers across her forehead and groaned inwardly._ Only girls like Donna sweated._ Pushing the straps of the bag she was carrying over her shoulder, she began walking down the staircase, each of her footsteps plopping down loudly on the wooden steps. As she neared the door, she heard the familiar voices coming from inside and opened it with only a second of hesitation.

"—taught that dirty son of a bitch a lesson," Fez beamed with pride. Jackie paid the imbecile no mind as she crossed the room and flopped down on the couch with a loud and overdramatic sigh.

"Great Fez, I'm tellin' you right now…I'm not driving you to the hospital when that guy comes after you with that shovel," Steven Hyde said followed by his signature scowl. He could have been scowling because Fez had somehow pissed off the biggest guy on the football team with a pail of dirt and a shovel. However, more than likely the scowl was due to the deliberate sigh that came from Jackie.

A few moments passed and another sigh. As both boys turned their attention to the television, Jackie's sighs became louder and longer. Until finally, she threw both arms up in the air and sighed one long sigh which sounded more like a pissed off groan.

"Don't you hear me? Hello I'm in pain! I need comforting," Jackie said, covering her face with her hands.

"Oh come here, sweet baby," Fez cooed and reached over to rub Jackie's back. "Let Fezzy take your mind off the pain." The boy couldn't help but let Jackie's wanting for affection turn into an opportunity to feel the exposed skin of her back. "Oh that's nice isn't it?"

"Ugh, you nasty perv, get off me," Jackie elbowed Fez hard in the stomach and then scooted over to the other side of the couch. "I guess I'll just sit here and think about how I'd be better off at the bottom of a river than here with you two."

"That's for damn sure," Hyde said perkily. "Let's all stop and think about that!"

"Oh shut it Hyde. I'm too beautiful to drown like a fish. I meant that you should be jumping at the chance to comfort me in my time of grief for Michael," Jackie eyed the boy with contempt. She almost hated Hyde as much as she did Michael for having showed her no remorse these past two weeks.

"Jackie, I should be doing exactly what I'm doing…enjoyin' the fact that your stupid boyfriend ran off to California to escape getting hitched to you for the rest of his life," Hyde shifted down in his chair as he crossed his arms over his chest defiantly. "You really can't blame the guy."

"No! I can blame the guy. Look at me," Jackie stood up suddenly and gestured to herself, "I'm freaking gorgeous and he just left _all_ of this." Jackie glared for a moment before stomping across the room and making her retreat up stairs.

Hyde's gaze followed her up the staircase until she disappeared around the corner, and he turned back to look at Fez shaking his head. "You know I know we let it drop off the radar after Jackie started wearing that pink skirt last year but it's time to readopt Operation: Push Jackie in Front of a Bus," he said in all seriousness. "I've still got the plans hidden in my room."

"Be nice Hyde," Fez attempted reason because he still knew no better. "Jackie is obviously in pain. She's hurting. Her heart broken, crushed like a—"

Fez's tone took a dramatic turn getting more wrapped up in his speech about Jackie's broken heart, before he realized Steven looked like he really wanted to punch him in the arm. He cleared his throat. "I mean who can blame her it takes years to get over Kelso."

"Oh crap," Hyde groaned. "You need help man."

Hyde got up from his seat and went to the deep freeze to grab a Popsicle. Staring at his friend who seemed to be mesmerized by the TV, he knew the entire summer was going to blow. Between Fez annoying him and Foreman whining all the time about Donna, Hyde was left with practically no entertainment. He couldn't even count making fun of Jackie about Kelso dumping her, even though it was still funny, because she just cried or yelled, called him a jerk, and then ran away. It wasn't his fault she was a stupid girl with bad taste in men. A smart person would have learned long ago that Michael Kelso was a cheating idiot. The only real entertainment so far that summer was how irritated everyone was with his newly blossoming beard.

"Hey, we should do something," Hyde finally said to Fez and lifted himself onto the freezer. The idiot was all he had for the next two months.

Fez looked at Hyde with excitement. If he were a dog, his tail would be wagging back and forth. "Dinner and a movie?"

"Never mind," Hyde put the Popsicle in mouth.

"Look who I found," Jackie's voice sounded and Hyde turned to see Foreman and her coming down the stairs. "Eric here was standing in front of the fridge…a frost was even beginning to form on his puny little body," Jackie patted Eric on his back a couple of times before pushing him away suddenly.

"God, Eric, I thought that smell had been from the fridge." Jackie wrinkled her nose, but the lanky brown-haired boy barely flinched. He looked like hell warmed over about three times. His pajama shirt was buttoned incorrectly, his pants had mustard stains on them, and his hair was matted down over his forehead.

"She's right," Fez agreed and nodded his head. "Someone needs a bath."

"Foreman, you look like shit," Hyde said, always the voice of truth.

"She left, she just left," Foreman muttered with a sigh. "She hasn't even called. My body is not worth bathing."

"Aw poor little Eric, I'd give you a hug but you smell like rotting meat," Jackie said going over to stand near Steven. "Let me just warn you, don't expect anything from this jug head." She smacked Hyde in the arm and then smiled. "He'll just laugh and make fun of your misery."

"Hey Jackie seen any buses lately?" Hyde plastered a fake smile on his face, and she just gave him a snotty little shake of her head. Mortal enemy or not, Hyde didn't deny, at least not to himself, he derived pleasure from pissing off Jackie Burkhart. She was just far too easy and too hot not to get all riled up as much as possible.

"I miss the fridge," Eric muttered and hung his head against his chest. None of the other inhabitants of the basement had ever seen such a sad state. "There'll never be anything but coldness in my dark sad life."

"Oh please, you're just feelin' sorry for yourself," Hyde blurted out. It was often that his statements never got filtered through his brain. Instead, Hyde spoke first and then people tried to hit him.

"Shit Hyde," Eric said, standing up a little straighter. "Show a little compassion huh?"

"Compassion? Donna left. She probably had a good reason," Hyde pointed his Popsicle directly at Eric's forehead.

"Screw you. I'm going back up—"

But before he could finish his statement a determined Jackie was at his side and clutching his arm. "No no no Eric. I told you not to listen this…idiot," Jackie couldn't think of a better insult, and her flustered stammering caused a smug smirk in her direction from Hyde. "You and I, we only have each other now Eric. Both our lovers left us. You are the only one who truly knows my pain."

Eric stood silently for a moment, looking back and forth at Jackie and then Hyde. "Oh God I'm like Jackie now!"

"And you're mad at me," Hyde said without missing a beat.

"Man just put me out of my misery next time," Eric managed to wrestle his arm away from Jackie. "If anyone needs me…I'll be by the fridge." The boy exited the room, his depressed mood displayed with his slow and glum stomps up the staircase.

"Eric needs cheering up. I know," Fez jumped up from his seat, "I'll go get the shovel!" Before Jackie and Hyde could even react to the ridiculousness of his statement and his quick departure through the basement door, Fez was gone.

Jackie cleared her throat and straightened out the hem of her halter top, waiting for Steven Hyde to say something now that they were alone. Really what was being waiting on the young brunette should have known would never be received from the blue-eyed kid currently dangling his legs off the side of the freezer, eating a cherry Popsicle, and still managing to scowl no matter how child-like these actions seemed.

But no words came even after the full minute which she had counted in her head.

"I have the right to be sad about Michael," Jackie's words came quick and defensive, even though Hyde hadn't said anything. She crossed her arms over her chest and moved closer to where he was perched on the freezer.

"You're under the mistaken impression that I care in some way," Hyde responded without even a hint of emotion crossing his face. His notorious poker face infuriated her more in this one brief moment than Michael having ditched her. But the feeling was fleeting, and soon Jackie was trying to keep herself from strangling Hyde because he wouldn't feel sorry for her.

Feeling hidden beneath his sunglasses, Hyde watched Jackie with something that could be equated to fascination. He knew what she was fishing around for in her bossy little way. _She wanted an apology?_ How she thought he was suppose to feel sorry for telling the truth he had no idea, but he learned long ago that Jackie's mind worked in mysterious ways.

Her brow furrowed with disappointment and anger when Hyde didn't respond. "Of course you care Steven Hyde," she emphasized the point with a short and quick poke in his shoulder.

"Hey watch it now Jackie," his tone instantaneously became deep and icy as he sat up a little straighter after she touched him.

The small girl recoiled slightly losing her nerve for a moment. Memories of a time when she had a school girl crush on the boy in front of her invaded her thoughts. Back then, she'd thought that Steven Hyde's bad boy routine just masked his softer and cuddlier side. After all, this was the same Hyde that took her to prom and saved her from going to jail. They'd even been on that date once and he'd let her wear his jacket when she mentioned getting cold.

But Jackie no longer thought of Hyde this way. Call it growing up or call it being insulted too many times, but she had realized that any other side to Steven Hyde was hidden behind something that always there lurking which also seemed to become darker and darker as he got older. She now knew that his cutting words weren't masking anything. Sometimes he truly meant to hurt her. Of course, Jackie didn't understand why, since she was under the impression that everyone wanted to love and worship her.

Maybe it was the absence of her usual ally, Donna, to humor her and to give her all the attention she needed over this whole Michael-screwing-her-over thing, but Jackie couldn't just drop it. Steven Hyde was wrong, and she deserved an apology for his cruelty towards her these last two weeks.

"You care," Jackie's voice only quivered for a small moment when she began. "You keep telling me how I'm stupid for being sad about Michael. Despite all your 'not caring' Hyde obviously you have some opinion about me and about Michael." The rest went unspoken, and she raised an eyebrow in his direction. _So let's hear it stupid Zen boy. _

Hyde bit the rest of the Popsicle off the wooden stick. His intention was not to dignify Jackie's words with a response other than saying his opinion was that both Jackie and Kelso were morons. But he couldn't say that because something else came out. Something he didn't have time to filter and lace with an insult.

"He left you. And you're sad," Hyde tone was one of ridicule but after the words came out he just sat there looking at her. _He left you_, alas, how his own identity was connected to those three little words.

Jackie held his gaze with her own. Even behind those sunglasses, she could see Hyde's eyes peering back at her. "I still love him," Jackie finally said.

"Maybe you are a moron," Hyde quickly responded but then paused for a moment before not being able to help continuing. "You _should_ be angry…instead of annoying the hell of out everyone with this 'feel sorry for me' shit"

She could feel her chest rising and falling with each breath of air. Hyde's words weren't what she wanted. Instead of comfort, they brought feelings that she didn't want to feel. The truth was there was a glimmer of hope somewhere in Jackie Burkhart that Michael would return, and she would get to plan the wedding of her dreams. She was sadder and more broken-hearted than anything else. Her anger stemmed from embarrassment and the fact that Michael hadn't even bothered to call her all summer. But she knew what Hyde meant because everyone that knew Hyde knew how he operated.

He meant shutting the door on Michael. "I am angry," she said looking away.

"If Kelso was here right now and asked you to forgive him, you would," Hyde accused her pointedly. He didn't even need to be told he was right. When it came to Michael Kelso, everyone that knew Jackie knew how she operated. "All he would need was a ring."

The words came out biting and dripping with sarcasm, and she winced slightly as her gaze dropped to the floor. It killed her that he was right, but if she had the nerve, she'd punch him right in his face and yell at him to take it back anyway.

"You…I…," her words became twisted. She wanted to say something intelligent and prove to Hyde he didn't know everything. But that didn't happen. Instead she became frustrated. All she could see was the self-satisfied smirk on his face, and her blood began to bubble.

"It isn't stupid for me to love people!" That was all she could get out in an aggravated squeal of bratty contempt for Hyde. All of the strength she could muster up was used to shove Hyde hard in the chest with the palms of her hands, and she was happy when she felt his body go flying backwards. "Jerk."

He hadn't even seen the attack coming. Their little spat had ended in her utter defeat and his triumphant victory as she stood fumbling for words about her love for Kelso. So feeling his body land hard up against the cement wall of the basement was unexpected. So unexpected in fact that he lost all sense of balance and fell from his seat on the freezer to the floor. Luckily, his face broke his fall.

"What the hell Jackie?" Hyde yelled in anger and clutched his face with his hands. He was beginning to think Jackie had really lost all sense of reality. _Had she really just pushed him? Him?_ "If you were smart you'll get the fuck out of here right now."

Jackie let out a girlish giggle when Hyde fell off the freezer, but quickly recovered when he threatened her life and took a couple of steps backwards. _Must leave, must leave._ She quickly turned around to find her shoulder bag which was on the couch. She was on her way towards the door before she tossed one final look at Hyde. He was holding his face with his hands, and it was only after a couple of seconds she realized why.

"Oh my God," Jackie ran over to where he was crouched on the floor. "You're bleeding. Hyde, oh my God, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean it." She kneeled down in front of him, trying to pull his hands away from his now bloody nose. "You're just such a jerk. I'm sorry…and you had such a good face too. You're bleeding!"

"No shit I'm bleeding Sherlock." He wanted to kill her. Really, he wanted to pick her up and throw her across the room. _She'd made him bleed. He didn't like bleeding!_ He kept wrenching his body away from her after she ran back over to help him. "Get off me," Hyde said through clenched teeth.

"Just let me help. Oh my God," Jackie kept muttering to herself. "Stop it. And let me see." He was bleeding, and he was still managing to annoy her. Sighing loudly, Jackie stood up and ran towards the dryer to grab a towel that was sitting in a basket on top.

"Here now let me see," she said sitting back down in front of him.

"Just shut up Jackie and leave," Hyde practically yelled and tried shoving her away once again.

"Stop it Hyde. Let me help you. Let me help you!" The boy's hand didn't budge, so Jackie had to resort to childish tactics. She took her fingernails and pinched Hyde hard in both arms. He immediately let go of his nose. "Now that wasn't so hard," Jackie ceased the opportunity to cover Hyde's nose with her towel.

"I think..um…lean your head back a little," Jackie said after a moment wrapping her other hand behind his neck. Hyde didn't respond but just looked at her blankly. She didn't know why he had to be so difficult, but after a moment, she was surprised when she felt him shifting slightly and lean his head backward like she'd asked.

"Here just," Jackie moved to take Hyde's face in her hand and used the other to apply pressure to his nose to stop the bleeding. "It's not bleeding as much now."

Hyde was still ripe with anger, but he no longer saw any use in fighting. "Jackie how's about you don't talk," Hyde muttered and shook his head very slightly to which she just scoffed but didn't respond.

Instead, she worked quietly. The gentle pressure of her hand remained until Hyde's nose stopped bleeding after a few seconds. She smiled slightly satisfied with herself, and then used the other end of the towel to attempt to clean up the blood that had smeared on his face. She knew he'd never say thank you, but then again, she was the one who had pushed him.

Her job now done, Jackie leaned back and flipped the towel aside. "Sorry," she said one final time and then stood up. Without thinking, she held out a hand for Hyde to help him up from the floor. He stared at it for a moment before finally taking her hand and pulling himself up.

"Tell no one," Hyde said forcefully in a low tone. He bent over to scoop up the bloody towel and then stalked off to his bedroom without another word. If Foreman, Fez, or Kelso ever found out that Jackie Burkhart had given him a bloody nose, it'd be the end of him being considered a man.

"Yeah right no one," Jackie said aloud to herself and ran a hand through her hair out of frustration. She stood still for a moment just staring at the far wall of the basement, thinking about what Hyde had said to her.

She'd love take a page for Steven Hyde's book when it came to forgiving people, specifically Michael. Just write him off and never ever forgive. But how could she do that when she still loved the doofus so much?

"I still love him," Jackie muttered and reached down to pick up her bag.

However as she walked toward the door of the basement, Jackie came to an acceptance, and for the first time in her life, she acknowledge what she had to do for her own sanity. Her ability to do this would no doubt write her future's happiness. Jackie Burkhart was now determined to figure out how to get over Michael Kelso once and for all.

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**A/N: **I'm on spring break, and I'd love to finish this by the end of the week. I've some ideas of what else happens during the summer, but I'm letting the story take me where it will. Review if you'd like. :)


	2. Pancakes and 45s

**The Not-So Lazy Days of Summer**

**Summary:** One more interpretation of the events leading up to Jackie and Hyde getting together that summer.

**Disclaimer: **While this is an original piece of fiction, I do not own any of the character in this story. I have no affiliation with FOX or "That 70s Show." I'm merely a fan.

**Author's Note:** I really appreciated the folks that took the time to review the first chapter. I must say they made me feel so much better about writing this story.

**Chapter 2**

_Point Place. Wisconsin. June 10, 1978. _

Kitty Foreman placed a steaming hot plate of pancakes in the middle of the kitchen table, followed by a platter of butter, and a bowl of warmed maple syrup. It was a late Saturday morning, and she had taken the extra steps to prepare a hearty breakfast for her family. It was just a shame no one was actually sitting around the breakfast table to enjoy it.

Unless she counted Jackie, and there were certain resemblances of bratty-ness in Jackie and her Laurie. So maybe she did count. "Here Jackie, have some bacon," Kitty said warmly.

"Thanks Mrs. Foreman! You know I love your pancakes. Maybe I should talk to Daddy about hiring you on the weekends," Jackie said, stabbing her fork into the fluffy, syrup-drenched bite. "Then I can have all the pancakes I want." She smiled sweetly, the tiniest drop of syrup rolled down her chin before she took a napkin to wipe it away.

Kitty paused for a moment looking Jackie over with slight confusion. The girl had such a talent for compliments wrapped in insults that Kitty really couldn't be mad at her. It was those parents of hers using maids and servants to raise their poor daughter, who heard of such a vile thing. Why did she have such a soft spot for the mistreated? Oh yeah, her own mother. "Well isn't that sweet? Thank you Jackie…here you go," Kitty added one more piece of bacon to Jackie's plate with a hearty laugh.

Jackie smiled happily and took bite of bacon. Now that she had a plate full of food in front of her, she was glad she'd risked her life to come over that morning. It was the first time she'd entered the Foreman residence in almost three days for fear of Hyde seeking revenge over her giving him a bloody nose and all.

So instead, Jackie had divided her time between shopping, sitting out by the pool working on her tan, and thinking about her decision to finally try and get over Michael. With so much time on her hands, she ended up coming to a conclusion. It being that she knew this was definitely the smartest thing she'd ever decided to do. And this time, it would be for good. Honestly, Michael Kelso was nothing but a first boyfriend to her now. She'd even put everything that reminded her of him in a box and stuffed it in the back of her closet. Even all those cute stuffed animals he'd gotten her over the years. If Jackie had placed the helpless stuffed animals in her closet, then it must mean she was definitely on her way to being totally and completely over Michael.

The past few days had been great with the sadness lifted off of her. Well, most of the sadness anyhow. She didn't have to keep thinking about him and could concentrate all her energy on something even greater than Michael…herself. Those three days she'd even refrained from asking the maids whether she had any messages on the very off chance he'd decided to call. Jackie smiled satisfied with herself and stuffed another bite of food in her mouth.

"You're going," Jackie heard Hyde's stern voice behind her, and she immediately felt tension in her body. She glanced over her shoulder and saw that Eric and Hyde had come in through the back door. They stood near the kitchen bar in the middle of a conversation that she was too distracted by fear to listen to.

It wasn't that she thought Hyde had sat around the basement thinking of ways to get back at her the past three days. Well, it was, well yes it was that she _knew_ Steven Hyde didn't have to think about ways to get back at her. He already knew. _Sneaky little devil._ Not to mention, the boy had a thing for the evil.

She cleared her throat nervously and tried to eat her pancakes as quietly as possible without being noticed, except by that point the two boys had seated themselves at the breakfast table. Eric was distractedly piling pancakes onto his plate. Steven hadn't touched anything, but instead, Jackie could feel his eyes burning a whole in the side of her face.

"Good morning boys. I hope you're hungry," Kitty's voice rang out, and she busied herself by serving Steven his breakfast.

"Morning Hyde," Jackie was unable to help speaking since he hadn't said anything. It was a birth defect, she thought. Going too long without speaking could bring death. She flashed her best smile at him.

He arched an eyebrow in her direction. "Good morning Jackie. Nice of you to drop by….and here I was thinking you wouldn't be back for the rest of the summer. I was positive you said that the last time I saw you." A squeal of fear threatened to escape her lips. _Yep, he was still mad._

"Why what happened?" Eric asked innocently chopping on a piece of bacon. "Not that I wouldn't mind being without Jackie….well forever," he said laughing at his own burn.

Both Jackie and Hyde turned their heads quickly to look at Eric and then at each other. "Nothing," Jackie said, quickly. _Must play it cool._ "I mean…Hyde here got confused. That trip I was talking about is not till next summer." She giggled a fake laugh to which Steven responded with a silly shrug.

"What was _I_ thinking?" Hyde laughed along.

Eric had a confused look on his face and then he gasped in horror. "Oh my God, did you two fool around?" He accused and then shook his head.

"Eric!" Kitty screeched and lightly hit her son in the shoulder. "We don't say 'fool around' at the breakfast table." Kitty took a seat next to Jackie and smiled. "But congratulations Steven. She has such nice hair." The woman didn't even flinch at the thought; she just continued buttering her pancake.

Jackie smiled with pleasure at Kitty's compliment, as opposed to Hyde's rolling eyes and deep miserable groan. "Thank you…it's this new–"

Hyde's hand clapped over her mouth keeping her from finishing the details of her new shampoo. "No no no Mrs. Foreman we're not," Hyde said shaking his head. "We were talking about….something….um...oh crap." He removed his hand from over Jackie's mouth and just hung his head a little.

"Ew," Eric put his hand over his stomach. "I think I'm going to be sick."

"Will you shut up? We didn't fool around okay? The other day Jackie…pushed me….and I got a bloody nose when I fell. I told her not to say anything," Jackie looked over at him her eyes big and wide. "I thought she'd be smart enough not to ever show her face here again. Apparently she just keeps getting dumber."

"I didn't say anything. It was him," Jackie punched Eric in the arm.

"Hey, it's not my fault the tiny cheerleader broke Hyde's nose," Eric said and then burst out laughing. "You should have just let me think you guys fooled around…that's better than getting beat up by a cheerleader."

"And ruin my reputation by saying I got with Jackie I don't think so," Hyde's words were met with Jackie's shocked face.

"Whatever…you're reputation could only benefit from being attached to such a perfect female specimen. You're poor remember?" Jackie said with a huff.

"I'd rather stick this fork in my eye," Hyde muttered.

"Perhaps I can help you," Jackie responded. Kitty's laugh was the only thing that interrupted the tense stare that was ensuing between the two.

"Steven how about some syrup?" She said picking up the bowl and spooning a hearty amount on his plate. Steven finally turned away from Jackie and picked up his fork to begin eating.

Jackie didn't know why Steven Hyde had to be such a petulant child. He should have known by now there was only enough room in the group for one person to always get their way, and that was her.

She sighed slowly. "Well I did come over here to apologize but there's no need now since Hyde's still a jerk," Jackie said intentionally picking at the boy. "But since I'm such a wonderful human being," the sound of Eric and Hyde's scoffs could probably have been heard all the way in the basement.

"Shut up!" Jackie scolded and then continued a big smile spreading across her face as she did. "I got you an 'I'm sorry for making your nose bleed and hurting your face' present!" She clapped her hands together excitedly and pulled a box out from underneath her chair. Jackie plopped it down in Hyde's lap and looked at him with a grin. She loved presents. Of course they were better when they were being given to her, but she did get that new purse while she was getting Hyde's present so it was alright.

"Oh how wonderful," Kitty said and gave Jackie a half-hug. "Steven loves presents."

Hyde's face contorted as if to say 'what the hell' at both Kitty and Jackie. He finally let out a heavy sigh, before he placed his fork down. "I do not love presents…and I definitely don't want anything from you."

"What a thing to say?" Kitty said in shock.

"Hyde!" Jackie was pissed and kind of hurt at the same time. "I spent a lot time picking that out for you. You better open it or….or….I'll kick you!"

"Oooh better watch out there buddy…she knows you're a bleeder." The punch in Eric's arm was quick and painful but totally worth it.

"No hitting at breakfast, we aren't animals," Kitty trying desperately to keep her Saturday breakfast pleasant. "Now Steven, Jackie was nice enough to get you that present…I'm commanding you to open it."

Jackie smiled in triumph at Hyde. "Fine," he said glaring at Jackie. With one final defeated sigh, Hyde began to open the box, which was wrapped in bright pink gift paper. He didn't consider what could be inside. Perhaps it was a bomb that would put him out of his misery.

Lifting the lid, Hyde looked inside and decided that he for sure hated presents. "Don't you just love it?" Jackie exclaimed, obviously quite pleased with herself.

A pair of light brown boots and two records, Hyde just looked at it blankly. "See new records…and new boots so you can dance to your new records," Jackie leaned over and tried to give Hyde a hug but didn't even care that he practically pushed her away. "And don't worry, I know you'll love them…the man at the record store recommended those…I just showed him a picture of you and told him you are a rebel rocker. I thought of the boots on my own." She was so happy. _And people called her selfish._

"Oh my Steven…you're going to be the coolest guy around," Kitty said nodding her head.

"Aw now that's sweet," Eric laughed before getting slugged in the arm but it was totally worth it.

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_Twenty minutes later. _

Hyde fiddled with the needle until it settled down over the black vinyl smoothly, being particularly careful not to scratch it. Music slowly began to fill the basement, and he let out a small sigh. On almost all occasions music calmed him. He could block everything else out, and get lost in a sea of loud drums, guitar rifts, and poignant lyrics.

The sound of the door opening was barely heard over the music, and from his position on the couch, he looked at Jackie standing in the entryway.

"Oh you're listening to it," Jackie's glee was hardly hidden. She looked like a small child grinning and clapping her hands together. "I knew you'd love it."

"I never said that," Hyde responded with a blank stare. He didn't even look at her.

Jackie frowned and walked over to the couch. "What?" She said sitting down beside him. "But you're listening to the records I bought you."

"I'm not listening to anything but you annoying the shit out of me," Hyde crossed his arms over his chest.

"You're such a jerk," Jackie rolled her eyes and settled back into the couch getting comfortable. He half-smiled; he was pleased anytime he could piss off Jackie Burkhart. He couldn't have known it, but Jackie didn't intend to budge from that couch until he admitted to loving her present.

Five minutes of the record had passed, and neither of them had said anything. A lot can happen in five minutes, especially when there was nothing around to distract them. The TV wasn't on. No conversation, just the music filling basement and the sound of breathing every couple of seconds. Soon even Jackie couldn't do anything but listen, not even think about herself and her own Michael problems, but just listen.

And she could tell Hyde was listening too, because ever so often she'd sneak a peak at him and his eyes would be closed and his head leaned back on the couch. _Don't love the present my foot._ This caused Jackie to smile, and she mimicked his actions by closing her eyes and resting her head on the soft cushion.

With her eyes closed, she could feel the rifts of guitar straight through her chest, the singers lustful moans of a lover found caused soft prickling on her skin. Jackie thought maybe Steven wouldn't be dancing in his new boots to these records. The music was so much better this way, closing her eyes and letting the music fill her body.

"This isn't so bad. No ABBA but still good," Jackie said a couple of minutes later. She opened her eyes and turned her head. She smiled when she saw Steven turn to look over at her.

"You're incapable of keeping your mouth shut," Hyde said with irritation. He'd been enjoying the music, almost not even minding she was there.

Jackie let out an embarrassed laugh and immediately looked away. "Sorry." She briefly wondering why Hyde thought he was the authority on cool, but she decided she didn't care. She wanted to listen to the music before he told her to leave like he usually did.

No one said anything again until Jackie insisted almost an hour and a half later that Hyde had to wear his new boots the rest of the summer right before she left to go home. They just listened to both records, back to back. They didn't even recognize that ordinarily Hyde should tell Jackie leave, not even when he got up to put on the second album.

Instead, they just listened together. The next day Jackie came over, and they listened to music.

Hyde was wearing his new boots.

**A/N: **I thought about naming an artist and song in the last scene, but there are so many JH appropriate songs…I wanted it left open to interpretation. I hope you liked it! Reviews highly encouraged/welcomed!


	3. Pretty Jackie's New Friend

**The Not-So Lazy Days of Summer**

**Summary:** One more interpretation of the events leading up to Jackie and Hyde getting together that summer.

**Disclaimer: **While this is an original piece of fiction, I do not own any of the character in this story. I have no affiliation with FOX or "That 70s Show." I'm merely a fan.

**Author's Note:** Wow! All the reviews have been so wonderful. I really appreciate everyone's nice comments. They do help. I'm thrilled with the reception. This has been really fun so far to write.

**Chapter 3**

_Point Place. Wisconsin. June 16, 1978. _

It was Friday, and the worst days that summer were weekends. Because weekends were when Hyde knew he should have been spending his time doing something fabulously reckless and cool. But he definitely didn't considering sitting around in Foreman's basement for hours upon end alternating between staring at the television and listening to records cool. Steven Hyde's summer was boring the hell out of him. Maybe even more than that, it was annoying and made him wish he had school to go to every day.

When thoughts like those entered his head, Hyde knew that somehow he'd gotten the short end of the stick. Just one more short end in a series of short ends he'd received throughout his miserable orphan-boy life. Donna left, so Eric was depressed and had stopped showering. Jackie tried to force Kelso into marriage, so he ran off to California. Hyde was left with the pieces of a shattered group of friends to keep him from killing himself, so far it was only half-working.

No matter how bored or annoyed Hyde got, Fez kept being Fez, and Jackie kept hanging around because where else was she going to go. He felt like he had to baby-sit the village idiots. But it was either those two or no one at all. So no matter how much he grumped, complained, and told them to get the hell out, Hyde knew that for the next few weeks there was no one else.

Thinking maybe he should give Kitty another chance, Steven heard the door opening. He glanced over and saw Jackie and Fez giggling and holding up grease-covered bags from Fatso Burger. Sighing, Steven knew this was as good as it was going to get. Kitty would just make him watch soap operas or decorate something anyway.

"If mine has onions someone's going back," Hyde muttered with a half-scowl, but he was already up and scooting chairs around the wagon wheel table.

"Jackie got me a chocolate shake," Fez said proudly and shook his head boastfully at Hyde.

Fishing through the bags for his lunch, Hyde stopped and looked at Jackie with shock. "What?" Hyde said, as he pulled out the burger marked 'no onions' and started to unwrap it. "Why'd he get a shake?" Sometimes the prospect of food turned boys into children, and Hyde didn't deny this.

"He asked nicely," Jackie had a french fry in her hand and dipped it into ketchup. "You just said no onions," she mimicked in a gruff tone. "Fez here carried the bags so I wouldn't get dirty."

"Yes, I'm like a cuddly bear," Fez said, slurping up his milkshake.

"You totally are Fez," Jackie nodded in agreement.

Hyde scowled but took a big bite of his burger, his hunger getting the best of him. "I'm a growing boy. I need nourishment. Much more than Fez," he punched Fez in the arm. Fez didn't care. He had a milkshake, and Hyde didn't.

"You said you didn't want to go Hyde," Jackie responded with a smirk. Over the past few days, she learned that getting the things she wanted when it came to Steven often involved using bait.

"You didn't say anything about a milkshake," Hyde replied grumpily. "Maybe I would have went."

"Ah you're lying," Jackie plopped a fry in her mouth.

"I'm probably am…but now we'll never know," Hyde angrily bit down into his burger. It wasn't that he really _wanted_ the milkshake. It was the fact that he didn't have one and would probably have to hear about it for the rest of the afternoon from Fez.

Jackie laughed for a moment and raised an eyebrow at Fez who smiled happily back at her. "So Hyde, Fez has surprise for you."

"Oh God," Hyde heaved a deep sigh and tossed his burger back on the wrapper. "If this food is a bribe just forget it Jackie I already told you no disco ever."

She made an innocent face but then smiled. "I don't know what the surprise is."

Fez sat down his drink and cleared his throat before making his announcement. "I found…Walkie Talkies," Fez pulled out two black rectangular objects from the other bag that was on the table.

"Awesome," Hyde grabbed one from Fez. "Hey wait these look expensive...when you said found did you really mean steal? Moron." A label on the back said 'Property of Point Place Police Department' and Hyde once again found himself wanting to strangle Fez with his bear hands.

"What? Hyde they were just sitting in that car with no one around," Fez replied and Hyde slugged him in the arm.

"Where were you?" Hyde turned to Jackie and asked incredulously.

Jackie's face immediately perked up. "Oh my God there was this fabulous window display…with the cutest little jacket. It was a maroon color and it had these flowers–"

"What the hell?" Hyde shouted loudly. "Jackie you let Fez steal something from the _police_ because you saw…the cutest little jacket," he imitated using his best 'Jackie' voice and then rolled his eyes.

"Hey hey don't ruin this for me. I wanted us to play FBI," Fez huffed crossly.

"We're not fucking playing anything," Hyde said and then went back to eating his burger.

"Oh Fez, don't listen to Hyde," Jackie patted her friend on the back and shook her head. "He likes to make people feel bad."

"Jackie," Hyde began but the girl cut him off by dropping her container of french fries next to his burger.

"There have my fries," Jackie said and stood up from the table. Hyde was about to respond but the fries just looked far too greasy and delicious. He was still pissed but he had fries to eat.

In the midst of Jackie and Hyde's exchange, Fez had clicked on the Walkie Talkies and tuned them to the same channel. He tossed one to Jackie who was now sitting on the couch.

"Ten forty come in Jackie Burkhart your Fezzy needs back-up…over," Fez spoke into the speaker.

"Fezzy this is Jackie Burkhart prettiest girl in Point Place…over," Jackie replied back and then the two laughed.

"I'm surrounded by stupidity," Hyde muttered.

"Pretty Jackie, Hyde is grumpy…over," Fez said and managed to dodge Hyde's fist much to his delight.

"Fezzy, Angry Hyde sure is grumpy today just like every other day…over," Jackie replied back even though she could see the vein in Hyde's forehead beginning to bulge.

"Pretty Jackie maybe we should find Angry Hyde a slutty whore. That would make him feel better…over." Jackie couldn't help but laugh despite trying to stifle it by covering her mouth with her hand.

_That's it._ Hyde stood up from the table and took a lunge for a smirking Fez. He missed. "You're dead Fez," Hyde snapped.

"Better watch out there Fezzy…over," Jackie was unable to help herself. She made a soft yelp when she saw Steven's eyes turn in her direction.

"Run Pretty Jackie run," Steven was smirking despite his tone being mildly menacing as he inched closer. Both Fez and Jackie were now on the move, and they scrambled up the stairs. Hyde managed to grab Fez's leg and tried to pull him back down the stairs. However between the struggling and kicking, all Hyde manage to do was wrestle off Fez's shoe and grab his Walkie Talkie.

Hyde looked up the stairwell watching as Jackie and Fez stop at the top for a moment and then disappeared. He just cursed the both of them and went to sit down on the couch. He wasn't in the mood to chase after them. In fact, it was better that the two were gone.

Just as an episode of The Price as Right started, Hyde heard static coming from the Walkie Talkie he had angrily tossed on the opposite end of the couch moments earlier.

"Steven Hyde," Jackie's voice sing-songed through the speaker on the Walkie Talkie. Hyde didn't understand why the both of them, especially Jackie, tried to annoy the hell of him. It was only okay when he pissed her off not the other way around.

Sighing, Hyde picked up the Walkie Talkie and pressed the talk button. "What?" He yelled irritated by Jackie and himself for not just ignoring her.

"Fez and I will come back if you apologize," he heard her say. _Apologize?! _He thought maybe he'd been mistaken that he'd heard apologize, but it was Jackie.

"Apologize?" Hyde said. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"The both of us feel like you were incredibly mean and grumpy just now. We'd like an apology."

"The two of you can fuck off," he muttered and then added. "And tell Fez he's dead."

"Fez says he'll find you that slutty whore," and then all Hyde heard was the two idiots laughing. "So if you ask we'll come back Hyde."

"I like it better when you aren't here," Hyde replied.

"You're lying. We're all you've got," Jackie sassed, and Hyde pictured her rolling her eyes at him. "Okay then Fez and I will be at the mall."

Hyde never responded. He just turned his attention back to the television thinking about how the summer completely sucked.

--------------------

_Ten minutes after midnight. _

After he slipped off his t-shirt, a tired sigh escaped Steven Hyde's mouth and his body hit the small cot with a dull thud. Another boring day, another night ended with him not drunk but perfectly sober. It wasn't how he intended the summer before graduation to be. He didn't know what he intended exactly, but it wasn't bedtime by midnight.

Turning over on his back, Steven placed his hands underneath his hand and stared at the ceiling of his tiny room. Every night before bed his mind drifted off, and he began to think of all the things he deliberately keep himself distracted from throughout the day. His mom, his dad, the Foreman's, five years from now, everything that he insisted didn't bother him. And it wasn't that they bothered him, it was that late at night right before the onset of sleep there was nothing else to consider except his life.

Had it come five seconds later, Steven Hyde would never have heard the static coming from above him because by then he would have been in a deep sleep. Instead, he heard the Walkie Talkie he placed on his dresser hours earlier making noise, and then he heard her voice. That annoying and shiver-inducing voice of one Jackie Burkhart, and Hyde groaned groggily.

"Hyde are you there? Hyde?" Almost a mile away, Jackie clad in pink pajama bottoms and a tank top, hair a mess and a freshly-washed face was snuggled underneath her covers and whispering into the Walkie Talkie she'd taken home with her. "I know you can hear me." Well, she didn't know if he could hear her. There was a very real possibility that Hyde had destroyed his own Walkie Talkie because Fez and she had pissed him off so bad earlier. Jackie smiled evilly when she remembered their antics earlier. It was certain that every action of Jackie's that day had been intentional. Just like Hyde was bored so was she.

"God what?" Hyde whispered harshly.

"Nothing I can't sleep." The vein in Hyde's forehead was bulging again; Jackie could practically see it.

"I'm turning this off," Hyde grumbled rubbing his fingers over his eyes and then yawned sleepily.

"No wait Hyde wait," Jackie said worriedly. She really couldn't sleep. It wasn't her fault. "I have something ask you." She had nothing to ask him.

"Jackie you are pissing me off." Hyde sat up slightly in his bed as he said this. He was going to kill Kelso for leaving Jackie that summer. _Kill._

"No wait…what are you doing?" Jackie finally said after a moment.

"Sleeping and thinking of all the ways I'm going to hurt you tomorrow," Hyde replied groggily and fell back against the pillow.

"Tomorrow?" Jackie's tone was peaked with interest. "So I'm coming over tomorrow huh?" She laughed in jest but then smiled to herself.

"No…what…I didn't," Steven attempted to take back his slight slip of the tongue. He didn't want her to come over. He just knew she would anyway so he assumed he'd have the chance to kill her tomorrow.

"You just asked me to come over," Hyde frowned to himself.

"I did not," Hyde replied in his deadpan tone.

"We are so friends now," Jackie said excitedly. Hyde could see her clapping her hands together in that dorky why that she did.

"Jackie you and I will never be friends," Hyde paused. "Ever."

"Donna's not here so I need you to act as my best friend for the rest of the summer," Jackie responded not believing Hyde for a moment. He lied all the time to her.

"I'm trying to sleep."

Jackie softly sighed to herself. "Well fine I'm glad one of us will sleep tonight," she said with irritation. "Goodnight Steven."

"Whatever." Jackie frowned. "Count sheep or something." Hyde's grumpy voice came, and she smiled victoriously.

With a deep yawn, she turned off the Walkie Talkie and tossed it lazily onto the floor. Steven and she were totally friends.

She fell asleep a minute later.

**A/N:** The Walkie Talkie idea was taken from Hyde's character journal on the That 70s Show website by Fox, and it amused me. The rest of the story is finally mapped out, yay. I thought I'd finish by the end of Spring Break but that's not going to happen. I hope everyone has patience eventually we'll get to THE part.


	4. Hyde's Revenge

**The Not-So Lazy Days of Summer**

**Summary:** One more interpretation of the events leading up to Jackie and Hyde getting together that summer.

**Disclaimer: **While this is an original piece of fiction, I do not own any of the character in this story. I have no affiliation with FOX or "That 70s Show." I'm merely a fan.

**Author's Note:** While the dates I'm putting on each chapter aren't super important, sometimes several days are passing between chapters. I'm trying to keep the timeline in mind as the JH relationship evolves.

**Chapter 4**

_Point Place. Wisconsin. June 22, 1978. _

That Thursday was a picturesque summer afternoon. The sky was a crisp light blue that made everything else up against it pop with color. It wasn't scolding hot like the day before; instead the weather was perfect with a gentle breeze floating through the air. Jackie wished every day that summer had been exactly the same, and she wasn't going to let the perfect day be spent indoors.

That's why a tiny brunette and three teenage boys were packed into a Vista Cruiser on their way to the beach. Seeing them all in their beach gear would have made any passerby smile with fondness and think about kids enjoying the summer with no cares in the world. In reality, it had taken thorough prodding and mostly threatening to get them all to agree to Jackie's wishes. Of course, Steven Hyde had been the worse one, but even he was in the backseat next to her as Eric drove them all to the beach. Jackie smiled to herself and turned her attention back out the window.

It was amazing. Somehow Jackie found herself almost happy again. Not missing or worrying about Michael, she was happy. Lately when she told herself she didn't care if he ever came back from stupid California, she didn't even need to repeat it twice in her head. Love didn't fade quite as quickly, but it didn't smother her as much as before. In fact, Jackie had spent over an hour picking out the perfect bathing suit to wear today with the intention of attracting some new male attention. _Michael wasn't the only boy in Point Place._

Yes, Jackie was beginning to think she wasn't _in_ love with Michael Kelso anymore for the first time in years. And it felt really damn good.

--------------------

_Twenty minutes later. _

Jackie flung out her towel on an unoccupied area of sand and then slipped off her sandals. "It's nice today," Jackie said to Fez who was standing beside her.

"Yes the perfect day to pick up some ladies," Fez smiled and Jackie just shook her head at the poor sex-deprived boy.

As Jackie and Fez stood chatting at his chances of scoring a new chick that day, Eric and Hyde came walking up carrying the ice chest they'd brought with them. It contained every chip and candy bar known to man which Kitty had provided, and more importantly three ice-cold six packs of beer they'd swiped from Red's secret stash in the garage.

"It isn't that she left. It's that she hasn't called. Not once all summer," Eric muttered as he and Hyde dropped the ice chest on the ground. Everyone groaned and threw their hands up in the air.

"Foreman I swear to God if you mention Donna again I'm going to kick your ass," Hyde said flipping open the lid on the ice chest and began pulling out beers.

"Yeah Eric even I want to kick your ass," Jackie took the beer Hyde was holding out in her direction.

"You guys just don't understand," Eric sat down in the sand. "I'm so lonely."

"Hey!" Jackie sat down on her towel careful not to get any sand on her by sitting directly in the middle. "Michael left me too remember. He hasn't called. But I've gotten over it and decided that he's a moron…who I don't love anymore." Jackie opened her can of beer and took a small drink.

"Whatever. Last night you said it'd be hard to ever get over Kelso's face," Hyde chimed in and sat beside Jackie.

"Oh my God," Jackie elbowed him hard in the chest. "Steven I knew you had been awake." She'd been talking to Hyde last night via Walkie Talkie, and after finishing some long tangent she realized Hyde was no longer responding to her. He often fell "asleep" during their conversations. "I am over him. In fact I'm in search of a new man."

"Well I'm not over Donna," Eric groaned. "You know I remember back when we were just innocent kids….making out…thinking everything would be okay for the rest of our lives."

"That's so sad Eric...here's a beer to drown your sorrows," Fez held out a beer which Eric promptly took.

"I might as well. It's not like–"

Eric's words were caught off by a huge blast off foaming beer being shot in his face when he popped the lid. Fez stood there proud of his burn, and Jackie and Hyde laughed in amusement. Eric didn't look nearly as amused when he got up to chase Fez down the beach for shaking up the can.

Jackie just giggled at the sight of Eric running. After a couple of minutes, Jackie started going through her usual routine when she laid out on the beach. She smoothed down the back of her towel to make sure it looked perfect. Sure, she always looked beautiful, but it helped if the towel looked perfect underneath her. She adjusted the sunglasses on her face, and then wiggled free from the cover-up she had on tossing it aside.

Then, there she was; Jackie Burkhart in all her bikini-wearing glory. And it _was_ mighty glorious. She laid back on her towel and moved slightly before she finally settled into a comfortable position on the ground.

"A new man huh?" Hyde's voice startled her, and she pushed up her sunglasses slightly. He was looking at her with that stupid smirk. She hated when Steven looked at her like he was so much smarter than her.

"Yes," She replied curtly and pushed back down her glasses. "And don't try to talk me out of it. Michael's history."

"You've got me confused with someone else," Hyde smirked to himself and leaned back on his elbows. If Kelso returned to find Jackie with someone new, it would be funny and the ultimate revenge for having been stuck with her all summer. "I think it's great…you should find someone today. Someone much better than Kelso," Hyde encouraged the girll.

"Maybe not better looking," Jackie muttered and turned to look at Steven. After a couple of seconds, she raised an eyebrow. "What's the matter with you?"

"What do you mean?" He feigned nonchalance. "I'm helping."

"Steven you never help!" Jackie pointed out.

Hyde ignored her accusation. "Okay well what about that guy?" Hyde pointed in the direction of some slender looking boy standing about ten feet in front of them.

"Too ugly," Jackie didn't move.

"Wh…you didn't even look," Hyde glanced down at her. "Wait a minute! I knew you were full of it with all this 'over Michael' business."

Jackie jolted up from her position at that, and Hyde smirked. "I'm totally over him," Jackie crossed her arms over her chest after reaching out and pinching Hyde in the arm. "Take it back."

"I can't take back the truth. The truth is what I'm here for," Hyde responded and then took a long swig of his beer. Jackie had narrowed her eyes at him to which he just shrugged and laid back in the sand.

"You just wait and see Steven," Jackie stood up in a huff.

"I don't know what you're talking about Jackie," Hyde gave her a fake smile and then shrugged once again. She glared at him for a moment longer. He didn't care and just took a sip of beer ignoring her gaze. He'd won, and Jackie looked crazy hot in her bikini so he enjoyed the view of her standing over him.

"You'll see," Hyde didn't even say anything because Jackie marched off all hot and huffy, and he sat there thinking how incredibly easy that had been.

Ah, yes revenge was sweet.

--------------------

_Forty minutes later._

Jackie stalked up to where she had left Steven Hyde almost an hour earlier. She saw that Eric and Fez were back. For whatever reason, Fez was being buried underneath a pile of sand, but Jackie didn't even comment. Instead, she marched right over to Steven and tapped him on the shoulder. He was laying on the ground with his eyes closed and a beer in one hand. _How dare he tell her she wasn't over Michael. _

"Steven," Jackie took a step backward. "Get up."

"Jackie you know…I'm a little busy here," Hyde replied opening one eye. He saw that the girl wasn't alone, and he lifted himself up from the ground into a sitting position. He was suddenly very interested, as he looked between Jackie and the guy she had with her.

"This is Paul," Jackie said gesturing toward the boy beside her. He had dark brown hair, blue eyes, and looked like he belonged in a movie. Jackie smiled sweetly at the guy called Paul. "He and I are…well we met today."

"Congratulations," Hyde nodded his head.

"Congratulations?" Jackie responded eyeing Hyde closely. "He's my new….boyfriend."

Hyde finally stood up. Eric only paused for a moment from continuing burying Fez and glanced at his friend. Hyde ignored him. "Oh really?"

"Yes," Jackie said and then looked at Paul. "Go get me an ice cream," she leaned over and kissed the boy on the cheek. Paul nodded profusely and scampered off in the direction of the boardwalk. "See Steven?"

"I don't believe you."

Jackie stammered for a second trying to think of the right words. "It's true. I think I can be in love in five days…because Paul is just _so _beautiful."

"I'll take your word on that," Hyde responded sarcastically.

"I don't know what your problem is," Jackie could feel herself getting angry. She didn't know why Hyde got to her that way. Sometimes she'd do anything to prove him wrong. And when she couldn't she just got mad. Like right then, she was mad and stomped her bare foot as hard as she could on top of his.

"Ow," Hyde doubled over in pain. "What the fuck?"

"Steven why are you the way that you are?" Jackie took a couple of steps back incase Steven thought of retaliating for her little assault on his foot.

"Why are _you_ the way you are?" Hyde sneered back. Somehow Jackie managed to make him upset, when all he'd been doing was trying to have a little fun at Kelso's expense.

"Did I miss something?" Eric finally said. "Did she make you bleed again?"

"Yeah, I'm trying to enjoy this in peace," Fez was heard saying although his voice was slightly muffled from being almost fully covered by wet sand.

"Jackie's just being a bitch," Hyde was staring her down, and Jackie for once didn't cower back from him. The anger had snuck up on her, quick and intense. But before she could say anything in response, she felt an arm snake around her waist. She immediately tensed up at the feeling and looked beside her to see Paul with an ice cream cone.

"Thank you," Jackie said sweetly and took it from him. She immediately began licking the ice cream, as small drops of vanilla dripped down her hand; the entire time she didn't take her eyes off Steven thinking that she'd like to shove that ice cream cone right in his face.

"Hey Jackie," Paul finally spoke, and both Jackie and Hyde glanced at him looking almost surprised. "I just agreed to pretend to be your boyfriend for the day," Hyde's deep chuckling began immediately and Jackie rolled her eyes.

"And you didn't say anything about," Paul trailed off and kissed Jackie softly on the cheek. "You got my number. Call me whenever you're done with this." Her face contorted in confusion, before she scoffed at the sight of Paul walking, well almost running, away.

"Great…look what you did Steven," Jackie flopped back down on her towel.

"What _I_ did?" Hyde took a beer from the cooler and then retook his position back in the sand.

"Yeah you ran that guy off. He could have been the guy I was meant to marry," Jackie said.

"I think paying people to marry you is illegal," Hyde responded.

"I didn't pay…oh shut up," Jackie scoffed but then smiled slightly before lying back down. Jackie didn't speak for a couple of minutes. The entire thing had really bothered her. "I _am_ over Michael."

Hyde groaned slightly. "Fine Jackie...okay I was only kidding. So drop it." Hyde regretted having begun the entire thing. She always made his life so damn difficult.

"I mean you know…it has to be someone _way _prettier than that. Michael was a fox," Jackie said.

"You just never know when to stop." Hyde decided that he'd come up with some other revenge tactic to get back at Kelso. Convincing Jackie to find a new boyfriend would just be nothing but trouble.

By the time their trip ended at the beach, they'd drunk all the beer. Hyde and Jackie convinced Eric to let them bury him in the sand beside Fez, and Hyde slugged Eric several more times for going on and on about Donna.

They didn't leave until the sun set. Fez and Eric saw it beneath a foot of sand. Jackie and Hyde watched the golden sky sitting on the edge of the beach with the tide barely wetting their feet as it came and went.

It was the perfect summer afternoon.

**A/N: **This was a fun chapter to write. So much JH obliviousness haha. Anyway, that might be the last update for a few days. It's back to school tomorrow, and I'm not sure how much time I'll have to actually sit down and write. Hopefully this will tide everyone over. I really appreciate everyone's nice comments, so keep them coming if the mood strikes you. 


	5. Once Again An Ex

**The Not-So Lazy Days of Summer**

**Disclaimer: **While this is an original piece of fiction, I do not own any of the character in this story. I have no affiliation with FOX or "That 70s Show." I'm merely a fan.

**Author's Note:** Once again thanks for the wonderful reviews! I hope this chapter is okay.

**Chapter 5**

_Point Place. Wisconsin. June 23, 1978.  
_

Jackie Burkhart squeezed down the top of the perfume bottle, and two large puffs of the sweet, flowery scent landed on her body leaving a glossy shine on her skin for a few brief seconds. Replacing the bottle back in its spot, she smiled and eagerly watched her reflection in her vanity mirror, turning her head side to side checking out her profile. There was no other girl who liked to look at herself in the mirror as much as Jackie, but she just assumed it was because their reflection wasn't nearly as beautiful as her own. If every girl looked like her, no doubt they would walk around with mirrors permanently attached to their hands. Letting out a deep sigh, she thought about the joy she brought to Point Place, gracing the inhabitants with her beauty every day as she walked down the street.

"Such a burden," Jackie muttered aloud and smirked for a moment. One last quick look in the mirror, and she stood up from the small pink bench sitting in front of the dresser. There was nothing brilliant on the agenda for the day, but that didn't mean Jackie Burkhart couldn't look fabulous. Every hair could still be in place. Her make-up could still be perfect. She grabbed the light blue pants hanging off the back of her chair and finished getting dressed.

It was now almost eleven in the morning. Her breakfast was probably still spread out on the dining table untouched. That was the great thing about having hired help; the maids still had to make her food even if she wasn't there to eat it. It was because she was special. Well that and her father paid a great deal of money to have them fulfill to her every wish. Jackie paused for a moment. Now that she thought of it, she hadn't seen her father in almost a week and a half.

The Burkhart house was easy to get lost in, but easy enough for a daughter to forget she hadn't seen her father except one or two times all summer? Maybe she just blocked out parental absence at this point after coming to expect it for so long._ Yeah, maybe that was it. _After all, Michael Kelso _had_ taken over much of her thoughts the past few weeks. But Jackie tried not to concern herself too much; she certainly didn't want to ruin her mood. Her father was a busy man being a city councilman, and he'd no doubt turn up with a huge gift to make it up to her. The thought of a gift made Jackie smile and forget all about her missing parents.

Jackie picked up the small white cardigan laid out on her bed before exiting her room with renewed vigor. It was another summer day, another opportunity to check out each and every respectable store at the mall. Maybe she'd even treat herself to a much needed massage and pedicure. As she thought this over, Jackie paid no attention to anything as she moved down the stairs, her heels clicking on the porcelain. If she had been paying attention, she would have noticed her friend Fez right away. He was standing in the middle of the large foyer looking very out place among all her family's beautiful possessions.

"Fez!" Jackie shouted caught off-guard when she reached the bottom of the staircase and saw him attempting to speak to one the Burkhart's maids. Whatever Fez said to the maid caused her to slug him in the arm and run out of the room with a scowl.

Walking over to where Fez was standing, Jackie touched his shoulder turning him towards her. "Fez…what are you doing here?"

"What?" Fez exclaimed and peered around looking guilty. "The maid let us in."

"Us?" Jackie looked around confused. It was only Fez and her standing in the room. "Oh god, are you imagining people again? I thought we talked about that. Don't eat candy before you go to bed. Remember?" She patted him on the shoulder with sympathy.

"Hey man did you see that record player? Three hundred bucks easy if we pawn it," Hyde's voice suddenly filled the room, and Jackie spun around to see him walking towards her.

"Steven?" Jackie raised an eyebrow. There were two boys standing in her house and suddenly she felt uneasy. Nothing good could come of Fez and Hyde in her home. "I don't believe you were invited over," Jackie said lifting her chin quite haughtily.

"I was bored," Fez interjected. "So I came to see you Ms. Fancy Pants." He moved a little closer to Jackie and said quietly next to her ear. "He kept hitting me. Save me." She tried to keep a straight face, but she probably failed miserably.

"Well Fez you can stay," Jackie finally said with a small smile and then slowly turned her attention to Hyde. "But Steven here might need to leave."

"Oh please let me stay," Hyde muttered sarcastically. "Fez don't expect a ride home," Hyde began to walk off towards the front door.

"Steven," Jackie rolled her eyes and moved quickly to grab his arm. "No no no you should stay…just don't touch anything," she wrinkled her nose slightly as she glanced over him. Holes torn in both legs of his jeans, a dirty Led Zeppelin t-shirt hanging loosely over his frame, Jackie wondered how he thought it was proper to leave the house looking so…unwashed.

"Why would I touch anything? I could catch something," Hyde mocked and then smirked.

Jackie scoffed and then quickly added. "Touch…or steal!" She pointed a finger at him and eyed him closely.

"What?" Hyde continued to smirk, but Jackie stepped in closer to him, poking him in the chest with her finger. Hyde glanced around until he reached into his jacket pocket and with an annoyed sigh pulled out a small silver figurine he'd swiped minutes earlier. "I was just…uh…carrying it."

"Me too," Fez said after a moment and handed Jackie one of the maid's feather dusters he had hidden in his jacket.

--------------------

_Thirty minutes later._

"And," Jackie pushed open her bedroom door and spread out her arms as if she were a model displaying some fancy new car. "This is my room," she smiled proudly and then went over to the record player set up in the corner.

"It looks like something vomited in here," Hyde said gruffly as he took a tentative step inside. Pink walls, pink bed, pink everything, he really did think he felt the beginnings of a sour stomach. Could have been just the fact that Jackie slept here, well maybe she hung upside down like a bat in the corner. But it was probably due to hearing Jackie babble on and on for the past half hour. Hyde glanced down at his watch and cursed silently. _Where the hell was Fez? _

"What?" Jackie snapped her head around forgetting all about finding a record to play. "My room is fabulous."

"Maybe if you are blind," Hyde said and then glanced at Jackie. "Which would explain a lot." _Namely Kelso._

"You're just jealous. You live in a dingy old basement. What do you even know about interior decorating?" Jackie knew that Steven liked to piss her off, but sometimes she couldn't restrain herself.

"Oh you got me there...my decorating skills." Jackie rolled her eyes at his comment and went back to flipping through her albums.

Stifling a smug smirk, Hyde crossed the room and ran his fingers along the smooth wood of Jackie's dresser. Every item in her roomy was tucked away in its perfect spot; it reminded him of a display at a department store. He almost felt if he moved too quickly the entire house would shatter around him. His own childhood home was the complete opposite. Everything was either half-working or completely broken, so the fear of damaging something was foolish. For a moment, he wondered what it must have been like growing up as a rich, spoiled little brat. Then Hyde caught himself and realized that was absurd. He hated Jackie Burkhart. Trying to imagine anything concerning her would only give him a massive headache.

Hyde found himself picking up the things off her dresser, shaking his head, and then tossing them lazily aside. He didn't understand why everything had to be pink and not to mention nothing had any real purpose or function, like all the stuffed animals.

"Steven I said no touching," Jackie said with annoyance and grabbed the perfume bottle from his hand, which he was just getting ready to spray.

Hyde sneered lazily not even bothering to argue and continued looking around. A few seconds later and ignoring Jackie's complaint, he picked up a half folded piece of paper.

"What the…Steven that's mine," Jackie immediately reached out for the paper, but Hyde quickly held his hand up in the air with an evil chuckle. She cursed her petite frame and attempted to grab it again to no avail. She didn't know what he had, but the thought of his grubby hands touching all of her things made her stomach do a small flip.

Hyde flopped down on her bed and read the paper with a smirk. "Thought you'd save it just incase you needed another stand-in."

"What?" Jackie looked confused for a moment until she realized what it was he was holding. Paul had given her his phone number yesterday at the beach. Now that Steven was using it to mock her, she couldn't believe that she hadn't trashed it. "I was just….shut up."

"Come on," Hyde shook his head. Jackie was beginning to wish she hadn't told Hyde he could stay. "You're actually goin' to call that guy?"

"I don't know...yes," Jackie fumbled for words and then nodded her head firmly. "He was nice."

"Whatever," Hyde said after a moment. Jackie didn't care to know what that look meant that he had just given her, but instead she quickly snatched the paper from his hand.

"Keep your hands off," Jackie said loudly, as she turned her back to tuck the paper inside her dresser drawer. When she turned back around she saw that Hyde was ignoring her, because he was holding her notebook. "No!" Jackie shouted and ran over to him.

Hyde smiled for a moment at her but then frowned when she took the notebook from him. "Hey I was reading that."

"Steven I'm not kidding," Jackie eyes shifted back and forth. She didn't know how much he'd read. It was a letter containing her personal thoughts, not meant for anyone else except one person. "How much did you see?"

Hyde sighed miserably. _Where the hell was Fez?_ He needed to get out of there. "I didn't see anything," Hyde lied.

"I _saw_ you reading it," Jackie pushed his shoulder lightly.

"Fine," Hyde said. "You're breaking up with Kelso. It's not like it's some big secret," Hyde didn't know what her problem was. The entire summer she kept telling everyone she was over Michael, so what did it matter if he saw the letter she was writing or not?

"It's not," Jackie said lowering her tone. "It's just…kind of personal." She didn't want anyone knowing how much Michael had really hurt her. That was something better left between the two of them. And it was obvious in between her insults and calling him a jerk, he had broken her heart. She certainly didn't want Hyde to know that. After all, he was the one that told her she was stupid for being sad. So the letter she was using to break-up with Michael Kelso was better left private.

"I barely saw anything," Hyde shook his head. That wasn't exactly true. He'd read enough of the letter to know how the rest went, but that wasn't because he was a genius. It was because Jackie was kind of predictable.

Jackie hated that she couldn't gather anything from the emotion on his face. She was beginning to believe that Hyde didn't have any emotions. But there was nothing more to ask. She'd just have to take his word for it.

"Okay," Jackie slowly said and held the book tightly against her chest for a moment before closing it and putting it on her nightstand. "So where's Eric?" Jackie said after a couple of moments.

Hyde immediately rolled his eyes at the mention of Foreman's name. "We finally had to chain him to the deep freeze," Hyde managed to say with a straight-face.

"Hm," Jackie hummed and flopped down in the space beside Steven. "I was wondering when that was going to happen." Eric had been especially annoying that summer with all his talk about Donna; it was almost worse then when they broke up.

Just as Jackie was going to ask what they used to tie him down, Fez burst into the room with an excited grin on his face.

"Jackie I want to live here forever," Fez said giddy with happiness. "The maid said I was…stupido." He pronounced the word as if it was the best compliment he'd ever heard. "I think she likes me."

"Fez no," Jackie covered her face for a moment trying not to laugh. "That's Spanish for stupid."

"Are you sure? Because I _think_ she was trying to tell me I'm handsome and wants to have sex with me," Fez looked at Jackie confused.

Hyde annoyed by their conversation had only been half-way listening but caught enough to be slightly bewildered. "Wait a minute," Hyde chimed in. "You're not Spanish? Fez man where the hell are you from?"

Jackie laughed covering her mouth again at Steven's comment. She looked back and forth between the two boys with a small smile. Fez responded with something that Hyde obviously didn't like, and he slugged Fez in the arm. How she ended up with these two for summer she didn't know. They were both idiots. One just out of pure unintelligence, the other well he _did_ wear his sunglasses inside.

She missed Donna, but on occasion like that afternoon she would forget all about her lumberjack-sized friend. Once Jackie returned her attention back to her friends, they spent the next few minutes arguing about how to spend the rest of the day. Fez suggested hanging out with Jackie's maid. Hyde kept insisting he didn't care and wasn't going anywhere with the two of them but then suggested they go back to the basement and throw things at Foreman's head. Jackie still wanted to go the mall for her pedicure and massage.

"Wait wait wait I've got it!" Hyde interrupted holding his hands up and then smiled.

After a couple of turns in the circle, no one cared what they did.

--------------------

_The next day. _

Jackie stood staring at the mailbox out in front of her house. Maybe if she kept looking at it time would rewind itself a few weeks. Michael would still be in Point Place, and the letter in her hands would never have been written. Suddenly she couldn't remember what she wrote. Had she put the right thing? Would he know she really meant that it was over? This was Michael after all. She was tempted to rip open the sealed envelope and add a few more morons at the very end just incase.

Why was she freaking out, she wondered. This was definitely something she wanted to do, needed to do. Before she could second guess herself again, Jackie quickly opened the mailbox and tossed the letter inside. She unexpectedly felt rather relieved. As soon as Michael read that letter, he would know she'd officially broken up with him.

For one split second, she considered maybe this was all a mistake, just a misunderstanding. Michael might be stuck in a ditch somewhere in California, wanting to come hom eto his Jackie, but he couldn't. She quickly recovered and came to her senses. No, she was on her own now. She nodded firmly to herself and started walking in the direction of her usual destination that summer, Eric's basement.

**A/N: **Jackie's finally broken up with Kelso! Hurrah! We've also reached the midway point of summer and of this story, so expect the second half to contain the more _interesting _developments. Hopefully this isn't moving too slowly but seeing Jackie over Kelso was priority one. Leave reviews if you can. :)


	6. Uh Oh, Your Lips

**The Not-So Lazy Days of Summer**

**Disclaimer: **While this is an original piece of fiction, I do not own any of the character in this story. I have no affiliation with FOX or "That 70s Show." I'm merely a fan.

**Author's Note:** After the last chapter, I realize I've written each chapter as more or less a small glimpse into one day of summer, so hopefully the chapters don't seem too incomplete. In the timeline of the story, it's been almost two weeks since the last chapter.

**Chapter 6**

_Point Place. Wisconsin. July 6, 1978. _

There was a dull pounding in her ears. After a few moments of her head spinning she came to the conclusion that it was her heart she heard pounding so heavily. The rhythmic beating sounded like a drummer playing his set while on an enormous amount of drugs. She thought to herself that if a Bee Gees song was playing the beating against her rib cage would be perfectly in time with the music. It was hard to say if she was zoned out on drugs or still watching the television which was the last thing she remembered before this consuming amount of heat was all over her.

It was like trying to decipher a riddle. She felt these puffs of hot air on her face. It sure was hot in that room, and moments ago it hadn't seemed like it. It was never hot in that room, she thought. It must have been the sudden excitement because she could feel that her body was flushed all over. There were small burns being left along her skin. They moved quickly and with purpose down her arm and under the hem of her blouse.

Maybe she needed help. She did feel kind of short of breath. The riddle became clearer when the clean smell of soap hit her nose along with something muskier like cigarette smoke. It was instantly recognizable to her, and she snapped herself out of what seemed like a dream. Her tiny hands reached up and pushed the intense heat away from her.

She was glad to breathe again.

"Ste...Hyde," Her voice now seemed deeper in her ears, and in between trying desperately to catch her breath, she kept her eyes glued to anything else but the two brown reflective ovals in front of her. "I don't know what you think you're doing."

--------------------

_Three hours earlier. _

There distinctive sound Kitty Foreman's shoes made on the basement steps could be heard just over the sound of the television, and Jackie instantly turned around and smiled that extra-bright smile she had when something special pleased her. Steven and she were sitting on the basement couch watching television. It seemed like that's all she did these days. She kind of wanted to put herself out of her misery. That'd be better than being bored.

"Here you go kids," Kitty said with a high trill in her voice. She had a tray of food that she placed down on the basement table in a flourish. "Chips, sandwich, and Steven's favorite...brownies. I know how much he likes them."

"Uh actually Mrs. Foreman," Hyde's words were cut off when he felt Jackie nudging him in the ribs. "Yes brownies yum." He picked up the sandwich that was front of him.

"No mustard right?" Jackie said picking up one half of her sandwich and peaked under the top layer of bread.

Kitty Foreman gave the girl a semi-forced smile. "No mustard, Jackie. And I even cut the crusts off since they are brown...and I know how much you hate brown food." Kitty's laughter broke out for a couple of seconds, and Jackie nodded her head and took a small bite of her lunch.

"Mrs. Foreman I can tell you where she should stuff that sandwich...right up her," Hyde trailed off when Kitty slapped the back of his head lightly. The sad thing was that a similar exchange had taken place yesterday. Just replace the turkey sandwich with tuna salad and Jackie complaining about the taste of pickles, and that pretty much wrapped up their Wednesday afternoon.

It seemed all of the sudden that the days had grown extremely long with nothing breaking them up except commercials and the beginning and end of TV shows. Everyone had fallen into a routine of laziness thoroughly mixed with boredom. Jackie had even grown tired of visiting the mall every day. Instead, her days involved waking up, getting dressed, and making the trip to Eric's basement where the same thing took place day after day.

For two weeks, nothing exciting happened with the exception of Fez hurting himself every once and a while, and Kitty providing late breakfast, lunch, and snacks. Even the food had grown boring. Jackie missed Donna more than ever now. She almost even wished Michael returned from California. His stupidity might have shaken things up a little.

As far as the poor souls still stuck in Point Place with her, all of them seemed just as disheartened. Eric occasionally joined them in the basement. But he brought no interesting conversation. Just the same complaints about Donna, Hyde had even grown tired of hitting him.

"Thank you Mrs. Foreman. You're sandwiches are the best," Jackie said enthusiastically but she couldn't muster up enough energy to really mean it.

"Now you kids have fun. I'm going to go wake up Eric from his...nap," Kitty laughed slightly as she headed back up the basement steps. "I'll send him down. I think he needs company."

"God I hate when she sends him down here...he always smells and needs to shave," Jackie frowned for a moment and then glanced at Steven. "Like you." His stupid beard had really filled in since the beginning of summer. He looked like a Viking.

"We can throw stuff at him," Hyde suggested as he tossed a few potato chips in his mouth.

"I guess we could," Jackie responded with a shrug. They threw stuff at Eric yesterday.

Lately, Hyde and Jackie's conversations, if they could be called that, mostly consisted of short quips as they stared blankly at the television. Anyone else might wonder if they were even really talking to each other. But lately turning their heads back and forth to talk took up too much energy, and honestly it didn't seem worth it.

"I like throwing stuff," Hyde pondered briefly before the food on his plate re-caught his attention, and they both went back to eating in silence.

If summer continued that way Jackie just knew she would go crazy. There wasn't enough time to do anything really cool, like a road trip, not that she'd ever go on a road trip with any of the idiots left behind in Point Place. And how many times could she go to the mall, the pool, or the beach? School would be here sooner rather and later. It seemed like all she was doing now was buying time until something better came along. And at this point the something better was school no matter how depressing the thought was that she was looking forward to...school.

The sound of someone coming down the steps quickly tore Jackie from her thoughts, but this time she didn't even bother to look. She didn't care who it was; instead she continued lazily eating her sandwich with her eyes glued to the TV.

"Hey guys," Eric said sounding unusually upbeat. "What's going on?"

"Sandwich," Hyde responded, his voice sounded as bored as he was.

"Chips," Jackie said after him.

"Brownies," Hyde finished.

Eric raised an eyebrow before sitting down in the empty chair Hyde normally sat in and stared at them both for a moment. "I see it's a party down here," he said.

"It will be in a minute after I finish this," Hyde said holding up his sandwich in Eric's direction. He had every intention of throwing stuff at Eric's head after he was done eating.

"Well as much as I'd love to let you throw things at me...again...I think I'd rather do something else. Something great! You know it is summer you guys we should be having the time of our lives," Hyde and Jackie finally glanced over Eric. Each looking at him like he had something growing out of his head.

"Go away," Hyde shook his head in mild disgust.

"Ew," Jackie said at exactly the same time.

"What?" Eric looked at them both confused. "I've been complaining about Donna...and you guys kept telling me to get over it. So look...I finally did. And now I'm ready for the summer of my life."

"Foreman," Hyde tossed his sandwich back on the plate suddenly having lost his appetite. "Take a long around. This," Hyde gestured around the basement with his arms spread open. "This _is_ summer. Stuck in the basement with the cheerleader watching The Price Is Right...which is about to come on," Hyde finished that last part with urgency and pointed at the TV.

"I'm on it," Jackie stood up from her chair automatically and went up to the TV. She clicked the channel until they heard the familiar theme music.

"The Price Is Right?" Eric said incredulously. "What happened? Where's Fez?" Eric asked in that rapid fire pattern of speech he had when he was excited. When had his friends become boring?

"We don't know," Jackie said staring at the TV.

"Yesterday we decided he hitched to Canada," Hyde said.

"Canada?" Eric looked over at Hyde suddenly. "What for?"

"I don't know Foreman. It's just what we decided," Hyde reached over to slug Eric in the arm. "Now either shut up or I'm going to kick your ass."

"Wait a minute," Eric held up his hands. "You're telling me to shut up. So you can sit here and watch TV with _Jackie_?"

"She's not the one annoying the shit out of me."

"What?" Eric said loudly in completely shock.

"Look man you can't just come down here with your summer and fun talk...we can't hear the TV," Hyde said. "I see you what you mean about that smell."

"Told you," Jackie shrugged.

"It's like this is some alternate universe where it's cool to hang out with Jackie," Eric didn't understand.

"Excuse me Eric but I've always been cool," Jackie said simply.

"If by cool you mean the spawn of Satan," Eric said with a mocking smile. "Then yes."

"Foreman don't you have some moping to do?" Hyde scowled at his friend.

"That's what I'm saying man," Eric's excitement was back and quickly patted Hyde on the shoulder. "I'm over being upset about Donna. She'll call eventually...but for now I can just enjoy my freedom from caring."

"Are you sure?" Hyde said slowly. "What if she is out in California hooking up with all these guys that are much cooler and better looking than you? What if...she never comes back?"

"That's true. I hear guys in California are total babes," Jackie added with a dreamy smile.

"What do you mean?" Eric said looking at them both.

"We mean...Donna's hot. It's summer. She's unattached...she hasn't called or anything. Maybe there's a reason," Hyde looked at his friend with sympathy.

"Hyde you're just messing wit me," Eric said shrugging him off.

"I really wish I was," Hyde shook his head slowly. "I was rooting for you two kids."

Eric sat for a moment thinking his feelings practically visible on his face until suddenly he shouted at Hyde. "You suck man." He then took off for the door and ran outside.

At the sound of the door slamming shut, Jackie and Hyde did a quick high-five, their attention never once wavering from the TV.

--------------------

_Two and a half hours later._

That afternoon there was a marathon of The Price Is Right, three entire hours of pricing household cleaners. Now that's good TV. Both Jackie and Hyde sat blankly staring at the television neither had moved since Eric had run out of the basement hours earlier, except to scarf down a couple brownies. At first the prospect of an entire afternoon with Bob Barker, the greatest game show host in history, seemed like the best thing to happen that summer since Fez hurt himself with a shovel. Quickly though, each of them discovered that The Price Is Right was a show best swallowed in small doses.

All the contestants screaming when they were called to "come on down" was giving Jackie a headache. Her! She was a cheerleader, and she was getting a headache from the incessant squealing of the morons on the television. She rolled her eyes and watched as an elderly lady bounced down the aisle with her fists pumping over her head.

"Another old lady," Jackie sighed annoyed and threw her hands up in the air. "She can't even reach the wheel," she shouted in the direction of the TV.

It was the beginning of the third episode of the marathon, and Hyde realized he'd just sat through two hours of a lame game show. He wanted to hurt something. "I can't watch another episode of The Price Is Right. I just can't," Hyde sounded like he was on the verge of going crazy and pulling out all of his hair.

Jackie shook her head and crossed her hands over her body. "This summer totally sucks." It was the worst summer ever in her opinion. "There's nothing to do."

There was no clear reason why after three hours of sitting with their gazes glued to the TV screen Jackie and Hyde chose that moment to turn their heads and look at each other. It wouldn't even become clear later that night when each of them tossed and turned in their beds trying to fall asleep. But Jackie found when she looked over at Steven he was looking back over at her. Something as simple as a glance had become an invitation to let eyes roam where they pleased.

Whatever it was that would have been said was communicated with raised eyebrows, a quick flick of a tongue over lips, and a small smirk. Out of the blue Jackie noticed that Hyde was looking particularly hot in that black t-shirt which under normal circumstances she wouldn't have thought about twice. She blamed the heat. Hyde on the other hand wondered how he missed that Jackie's tight lavender blouse accentuated every right place on her body. He blamed the heat as well.

They both hoped that the heat was a rational enough explanation for not looking away immediately. In reality it was only a couple of seconds, but it seemed like longer. Jackie could feel this gravitational pull on her body, and she found herself leaning forward towards Hyde. Perhaps it was the fact that in two weeks this sudden urge was the most interesting thing to happen in her life which caused her not to stop and think.

Hyde prided himself on his reckless behavior but what he was thinking was beyond reckless. It was stupid. But stupidity didn't matter. Hyde's body just automatically moved when hers did, and she just happened to be moving in the direction of his face. Their lips were touching before he truly comprehended what seemed to have transpired so quickly. Jackie was kissing him. They were kissing in Eric's basement. He expected a wave of panic and repulsion, but all he got was the beginning of feelings he had right before he stole something. Adrenaline.

Each of them pulled away at exactly the same time, and Jackie leaned back against the couch with a small sigh. The feeling of Hyde's lips on hers was still there. Kissing him wasn't like she remembered. Jackie bit the bottom of her lip slightly as she compared in her head the feeling of Hyde's lips back then on their date and now as he sat so close to her. The noises on the TV reminded her to try and focus on what was happening on screen, but she had trouble concentrating. She could barely remember what they were watching now. Maybe it didn't matter.

He turned just as she turned to reach for him bringing their bodies close together once again. It didn't seem right, but she could feel herself actively participating in the kiss. Her mouth opened and the warmth of his mouth became her own. Suddenly all of her senses were in overload compared to the past two weeks of boredom. That alone was intoxicating.

Hyde couldn't help himself. The right thing now was vague but it seemed like enjoying the taste of Jackie's mouth was now the right thing. Her taste was sweet and hot, and their mouths crushed against each other in excitement. It was much better than watching The Price Is Right.

They broke for air, a couple of deep and raspy breathes in between kisses. Soon Hyde's hand snaked down Jackie's arm until he found the bottom of her shirt. Warning signs finally began making their way to the surface just as his fingertips flickered over smooth skin. Jackie shivered involuntarily at the contact, and after the feeling passed she realized Steven had just touched her. She immediately pushed him backward and wiped her hand over her mouth.

"Ste...Hyde," Her voice now seemed deeper in her ears, and in between trying desperately to catch her breath, she kept her eyes glued to anything else but the two brown reflective ovals in front of her. "I don't know what you think you're doing.

After a couple of deep breaths, Hyde caught himself. He readjusted the glasses on his face and peered back at her not moving. She looked like she wanted to hurt him.

"I didn't do anything," Hyde finally said.

"Didn't _do _anything?" Jackie said loudly and stood from the couch. She was too close. "You kissed me."

"I did not," Hyde said firmly.

"Yes you did," Jackie looked at him like he'd lost his mind. She certainly didn't kiss him first. "You came on to me."

"You've lost it Jackie," Hyde crossed his arms over his chest. He looked like Hyde. Emotionless and staring at the TV.

"Just don't think well whatever it is you're thinking," Jackie grabbed her purse from the couch. "Especially not about kissing me."

"_That_ you don't have to worry about," Hyde paused and then glanced in her direction. She was now standing by the door clutching her purse.

"Good," Jackie said slowly. She eyed him for a moment but quickly looked away feeling awkward.

"Fine," Hyde shrugged.

Jackie frowned slightly and reached for the door handle. She exited quickly and made it halfway up the stairs before collapsing with her back against the railing.

With a tentative hand, Jackie reached up and touched her fingers to her lips in thought.

**A/N:** The plot thickens. Hopefully this turned out okay. I hope you all can take the time to review! I'd appreciate it.


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